Naepo restaurant for octopus rice-mixing lunch, Hongseong: Sonui Son

Hi everyone, it's Sseongyun!🤩 As the weather cools down, I keep craving something spicy with a strong smoky wok flavor.

While racking my brain over what to eat for lunch in Hongseong, I finally made it to Sonui Son, a place my friends had been raving about!

Sonui Son Hongseong Naepo New Town Branch is located at 273 Uihyang-ro, Hongbuk-eup, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (parking available). Clean-looking exterior, right? It's right in the center of Hongseong Naepo New Town, so it was super easy to find.

Sonui Son menu and prices: spicy octopus at 13,000 won

Before heading in, I scanned the menu board carefully! The main dish, spicy stir-fried octopus, is ₩13,000 — pretty reasonable given today's prices.

And if you leave a receipt review, you get ₩1,000 off, making it ₩12,000 — total steal!😋 They have everything from hot plate dishes to noodles, so it seemed perfect for coming with a group and sharing a bunch of things haha!

Inside Sonui Son: floor-to-ceiling windows and a 3:30-5:00 PM break time

The moment I stepped inside Sonui Son, I really liked how clean and spacious it felt. The tables are spaced generously apart too, so I could eat comfortably without worrying about the people next to me! While I was eating, a group of 8 came in and comfortably pushed two 4-person tables together!

One whole wall is a floor-to-ceiling window, so eating while looking out at the scenery somehow made the food taste even better haha. Just note there's a break time from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM, so if you're planning to visit, make sure to check the time!

How do the smoky octopus and potato pancake taste?

Finally, the star of the show arrives! The intense smoky aroma that hit my nose the moment it came out was seriously insane..🫢 There's a super famous spicy octopus place in my neighborhood with an hour-long line, and honestly, this tastes just as good!!

Even the color of the sauce looks different, right? It said they use top-grade sora-bang octopus here. Maybe that's why the texture wasn't chewy at all — it stayed nice and springy, making every bite a pleasure!😋

I took a bite and the moderate spiciness paired with deep savory flavor spread through my mouth instantly. I love smoky flavor a lot, and this was not overdone — just the right amount. I'm convinced literally no one could dislike this haha.

The relief pitcher to cool down the spice! The side dish potato pancake, 3 pieces for ₩5,000, is perfect to pair with something this spicy!😋

Instead of grating the potato, they thinly julienned it and fried it up crisp-style. I wish it were a bit crispier, but dipped in something like a buldak-mayo sauce, it's not bad at all!

Reading the explanation posted on the wall, I could feel their pride in using only fresh octopus they catch themselves, which made me trust the food even more.🤩 There are a few points Sonui Son's octopus is proud of — worth checking out in person! There's a reason this incredibly delicious octopus comes out the way it does haha.

Mixing it all in a bowl: Sonui Son's free side dishes and self-serve bar

The basic side dishes are bean sprouts, radish salad, salad, and seaweed flakes! Solid bibimbap ingredients, right? Haha.

I put rice in a big bowl and piled on the octopus and various vegetables as much as I wanted! If it's not enough, you can grab more from the self-serve bar and add as you like!

Sprinkling seaweed flakes on top completes the mouthwatering visual!🤩 Add a hint of sesame oil aroma and it's hard to resist haha.

I mixed it all together with a spoon and took a big bite — anyway, this is definitely an unbeatable combo!😋

The sauce soaked into every grain of rice, making it impossible to stop eating. The portion of octopus was also generous, so there was still plenty left until the very end! I don't think I could ask for a more satisfying lunch spot in Hongseong. This is definitely a place I want to revisit on a day I'm craving that spicy, smoky flavor! Leave a comment if you have any questions.😋